Bridgewater College alumnus Douglas Allison’s security and law enforcement career with the United States Department of State places him at important spots in history – the fall of the Berlin Wall, the disintegration of the Soviet Union, and the start of the Gulf War in the Middle East.
Allison, a 1985 graduate of Bridgewater College, will speak at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, in Cole Hall as part of the college’s alumni series. The event is free and open to the public.
Today, Allison is the deputy assistant secretary responsible for high threat posts for the bureau of diplomatic security in the State Department. He is responsible for the safety and security of diplomats serving in America’s most threatened embassies and consulates around the world.
During his career, Allison has provided protection to visiting dignitaries such as Prince Charles and the late Nelson Mandela. He has worked as a special agent in more than 50 countries, including Afghanistan, Morocco, turkey and Uganda.
Allison has received multiple individual awards from the State Department, including several Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards and was named Special Agent of the Year in 2000. He was promoted into the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Counselor in 2008 and to the rank of Minister Counselor in 2014.
In April, Allison was presented the 2014 Bridgewater College Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college, located in the Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Founded in 1880, it was the state’s first private, coeducational college. Today, Bridgewater College is home to approximately 1,800 undergraduate students.